Improvement in blacksmiths  tools



L. G. BERRY. Blacksmiths T001.

Ptented Dec. 9,1879.

N- PETE-R8, PNOTO-LITHOGRAPNER, WASHINGTON. D C.

UNITED STATESPATENT OFFICE.

LEWlS O. DER-RY, OF BUSHNELL, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR OF ONE-HALF OF HIS RIGHT TO HENRY W. SHEETS, OF SAME PLACE.

IMPROVEMENT IN BLACKSMITHS TOOLS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No- 222,470, dated December 9, 1879 application filed May 10, 1879.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, LEWIs'G. DERBY, of

Bushnell, in the county ofMcDonough' and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Blacksmiths Tools, of which the following is a specification.

Figure 1 is a front elevation, with indication in the special details in construction, whereby is produced a new, strong, and very useful 2 implement, all as will now be more in detail set out and explained.

Heretofore the general manner of shoeing an animal was, first, to pare and smooth the hoof; then seat the shoe and fit it; next, the

nails were driven; then the ends were twisted off. At this moment the hammer was laid aside and the animals foot put down, to be immediately taken up in such way as to present the hoof so that the nails could be clinched, and this clinching required the use of two tools. By the present device very much of this labor is avoided and only this single tool is required.

In the drawings, Adenotes the entire device; b, one part or jaw of the tool, and c the other, jointed together, as usual, near the head ends at d, so as to give long handles at the other ends. The outer or head end, 12, of b has a rounded or convex and serrated head, I), and this shape and construction are designed so that this head may be easily .placed over or inserted into the cavity of an animals hoof and seize the end of any shoe-nail, and thus give the operator the power of quickly bending down and clinching the nail. The outer portion, 0, of the other jaw is nearly straight,

. and has a claw or nail-drawer, c", at its end,

and is serrated on its inner face; but these serrations will not match with those on the faceof b, and it may be desirable, sometimes,

i to have them made, as near as may be, the

one exactly the reverse of the other. The

part 0' of jaw 0 is considerably longer than the part b of jaw b.

By the jaw end 0 the head of the shoe-nail is seized and forms a fulcrum, so that the smith may, with the convex jaw-head b, pull down the smaller end of the nail. to be clinched. On the outer end of the jaw b, and between the point d, where the jaws are jointed together, and the serrated face, is the curved arm 6, and on jaw c, in like manner, is curved arm 0, which arms match together, and, havng sharp edges, form the cutters or pinchers. These are used to clip oii' the nails before clinching them.

This tool is made of any desirable metal, and by reason of its simple structure can be easily and very cheaply produced, and forms a very strong and durable implement.

The method of handling the said tool is as follows: The smith, having the animals foot in proper position, (thenails having been driven and the hammer laid aside,) now takes up this tool in his right hand, the pinchers down and the whole instrument above his right hand and pointing toward his shoulder, the hand turned up with the palm toward him. With the pinchers or cutters he then easily and rapidly cuts off each nail. Then he turns his hand sidewise, the drawer or claw end of the tool down.

This long part he. then puts under the shoe on the head of the nail. The convex orrounded end is placed just above the animals hoof, where the nail has come through and has been cut off. He then gripes the nail at each end, and with a sudden downward motion he clinches the nail perfectly and smoothly and without striking a blow, and without laying down his tool or putting down the animals foot. It should also be noted that the tool can be placed on the nail to clinch it, whether the hoof is ridged or not. This is a feature of especial value. Thus not only will the smith be able, by use of this tool, to shoe the animal with very considerable saving of time, but need not pound the hoof during the operation, and can also use the tool easily on any hoof.

Having thus described my-invention, what I consider new, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is

In a hla-cksmith's tool, the combination of jaw I), having end b, provided with curved cutter e, and rounded and serrated head b, with jaw 0, having curved cutter c, and nearly straight end 0, which is serrated on its inner face and longer than rounded head I), substantially as and for the purposes set forth.

In testimony that 1 claim the foregoing as my own I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

LEWIS O. DERBY.

Witnesses:

E. E. OHEsNEY, J AMES IIAVENS. 

